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Credit & Copyright: Michael Miller
Explanation:
A broad expanse of glowing gas and dust presents
a bird-like visage to astronomers
from planet Earth,
suggesting its popular moniker - The Seagull Nebula.
This portrait
of the cosmic bird covers a 1.6 degree wide swath
across the plane of the Milky Way,
near
the direction of Sirius, alpha
star of the constellation Canis Major.
Of course, the
region includes objects with other
catalog
designations: notably
NGC 2327,
a compact, dusty emission region
with an embedded massive star that forms the bird's head
(aka the Parrot Nebula, above center).
Dominated by the
reddish glow of atomic hydrogen,
the complex of gas and dust clouds with bright
young stars spans over 100 light-years at an estimated
3,800 light-year distance.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: emission nebula
Publications with words: emission nebula
See also:
- APOD: 2024 April 24 Á Dragons Egg Bipolar Emission Nebula
- APOD: 2024 March 13 Á The Seagull Nebula
- APOD: 2024 February 21 Á Seagull Nebula over Pinnacles Peak
- NGC 1893 and the Tadpoles of IC 410
- The Light, the Dark, and the Dusty
- APOD: 2023 December 13 Á Deep Field: The Heart Nebula
- The Ghosts of Gamma Cas